Public Safety

Posted on: March 27, 2016

Loara High School Threat

ANAHEIM, CA – Late Friday afternoon the Anaheim Police Department was made aware of threats made to Loara High School via the OGLE application. An investigation was launched immediately, which continued through the night and ultimately led to the arrest of a 15 year old male who is a 10th grade student at Loara HS. No weapons were located at the suspect’s residence and there is no indication the student had the means to carry out the threat. The suspect was booked at Orange County Juvenile Hall for making criminal threats.

On Saturday evening, Loara HS officials notified APD of a second threat made to the school via the same OGLE application. Through extensive investigation, Detectives identified the suspect in the second incident as Miguel Meza, 18, resident of Anaheim. Meza was contacted during a vehicle stop early Sunday afternoon. Two loaded handguns were recovered in the vehicle. Meza was arrested for making criminal threats and possession of loaded handguns. A second male, Johnny Aguilar, 23, also of Anaheim was arrested for possession of loaded handguns and probation violations. Both Meza and Aguilar will be booked at Orange County Jail. This investigation highlights the seriousness with which these threats are viewed and how quickly law enforcement will respond to prevent an incident from occurring.

OGLE is a campus-oriented platform which allows users to anonymously post comments, photographs, videos and to exchange messages, themes, and chat with others in the application. Users are able to post anonymous content to a campus without requiring the user to be in proximity of the campus. Users can “like” others’ posts, which is used to show the popularity of posts. Users can also communicate via the app’s built in private chat feature, which can be used for one-on-one or group chat sessions. Photos and videos posted to the app or sent in a chat can also be set to delete after a set period of time (up to 10 seconds). The app has the ability to be used without a login; however, it does allow users with Facebook or Twitter accounts to link the application to their accounts.

“We urge parents to be aware of their childrens’ online presence.” said APD Deputy Chief Julian Harvey. “At the same time, students and parents alike need to understand we do not take these threats lightly. We will prosecute anyone who makes such threats, even as a hoax, to the fullest extent of the law.” Many times parents, relatives, and friends can see warning signs long before an issue develops to this magnitude. We remind everyone if you “See Something, Say Something.”

ABOUT ANAHEIM — Anaheim is a full-service city supporting more than 358,000 residents, 20,000 businesses and 25 million annual visitors. The city provides public safety through the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire & Rescue, water and power service through Anaheim Public Utilities, parks, community centers, family services and libraries through Anaheim Community Services, neighborhood and transportation improvements through Anaheim Public Works and community revitalization through Community & Economic Development. Anaheim is a modern, diverse city with a proud history dating back to its 1857 founding. Anaheim is known worldwide as the home of the Disneyland Resort, including Walt Disney’s original Disneyland Park, as well as Angel Stadium of Anaheim and Angels Baseball, Honda Center and the Anaheim Ducks, and the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest on the West Coast. Anaheim’s thriving visitor industry and business community help support the city’s neighborhoods and make Anaheim a great place to live, work and play. For more, please see www.anaheim.net.Back to top